1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an in-home health caring system incorporating a terminal device for central-managing data about a state of health measured in a home so that contribution to voluntary health care is made and arranged to transmit data to a remote expert, such as a doctor or a public health nurse, so as to enable health care to be performed in a home while advises are being given from the expert.
2. Related Art
Since the aging society rapidly proceeds in recent years, the state of finances of the medical expenses in Japan has a great difficulty. Therefore, countermeasures must be taken. The Japanese government has enlarged medical payments for the people. Moreover, conversion from the former basic principle of xe2x80x9cready detection of disease and early treatmentxe2x80x9d to xe2x80x9cimprovement in the health to prevent diseasexe2x80x9d has been given an important position.
As a means for effectively realizing the xe2x80x9cimprovement in the health to prevent diseasexe2x80x9d, an xe2x80x9cin-home health caring systemxe2x80x9d has been suggested. The system has a structure that data (for example, data about the blood pressure measured by an electronic sphygmomanometer and the body temperature measured by a clinical thermometer) about a state of the health which can be measured in a home, which is hereinafter expresses as xe2x80x9chealth dataxe2x80x9d). Measured data is transmitted to a medical facility, a medical examination center or the like through a communication network, such as the public line or the CATV line. Thus, data is analyzed/determined by an expert.
The foregoing in-home health caring system enables daily health care in a home to be performed under guidance of an expert. As a result, reliable health care can be performed, thus causing the number of attendance of a hospital to be decreased.
As a system of the foregoing type, an in-home health caring system structured as shown in FIG. 35 has been suggested in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication Hei. 8-275927. The foregoing system incorporates each terminal device having a function to serve as a health measuring device which includes a sphygmomanometer and an electrocardiograph.
In general, a terminal device for use in the in-home health caring system must transmit data about the state of the health to a medical facility, a medical examination center or the like. Therefore, connection terminals are disposed at certain positions. If a telephone line is employed, the terminal devices are disposed adjacent to modular terminals. Therefore, the in-home health caring system shown in FIG. 1 requires a user to move to the terminal device when the state of the health of the user is measured if the terminal device and the health measuring device are integrated with each other. Therefore, the system cannot easily be used.
Therefore, an in-home health caring system disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication Hei. 9-140748 incorporates terminal devices and health measuring devices which are individually provided. Moreover, each of the health measuring devices, such as a sphygmomanometer and a clinical thermometer, is provided with an infrared-ray communication function to enable measured data to be supplied to the terminal device from a remote position. On the other hand, when the terminal device and the health measuring device are connected to each other through a cable or the like followed by depressing a data transmitting button or the like provided for the health measuring device, an in-home health caring system of the foregoing type enables health data measured at an arbitrary position to be input to the terminal device.
The in-home health caring system having the above-mentioned structure is able to improve reliability of the health care as the number of types of health measuring devices increases. If the wireless communication function using electric waves or infrared rays is provided for all of the health measuring devices, the cost of the in-home health caring system is enlarged excessively. As a result, there arises a problem in that the introduction of the in-home health caring system is inhibited.
The foregoing system incorporates one data transferring device which has means for reading data from a health measuring device and means for wireless-transmitting read data to a terminal device to realize wireless input of data to the terminal device without enlargement of the cost.
The in-home health caring system structured such that the health measuring device and the terminal device are provided individually has a problem in that employment of a variety of communication methods between the health measuring device and the terminal device inhibits convenient operation.
Since the health measuring devices have various communication methods, a receiving means and a connection terminal adaptable to each communication method must be provided for the terminal device to receive health data transmitted from a variety of health measuring devices (for example, a health measuring device for performing synchronous serial communication method requires the terminal device to be provided with a connection terminal adaptable to the synchronous serial communication method). To enable health data to obtain health data from a plurality of health measuring devices having various communication methods, the terminal device must constitute a data receiving application adaptable to each communication method. Then, a user must select a suitable application from the applications, followed by starting transmission of health data to the terminal device. As described above, a very complicated process is required.
The in-home health caring system structured such that the health measuring device and the terminal device are provided individually has a problem in that an operation for starting input by depressing the data transmitting button must be performed whenever the health measuring device and the terminal device are connected to each other. Thus, a complicated operation must be performed by a user. To accurately recognize a state of the health of the user, a multiplicity of health measuring devices must be used. The foregoing operations become troublesome when a large number of the health measuring devices are used.
When wireless communication is employed to perform communication between the health measuring device and the terminal device, health data can be read by the terminal device only by depressing the communication start button provided for the health measuring device. Therefore, the operation for connecting cables is not required. Thus, the operation for inputting health data can easily be performed. When wireless communication of all of the health measuring devices is realized, the cost is enlarged excessively. In a case of a health measuring device which must transmit data in a great quantity, the wireless communication is not necessarily an appropriate communication method. Therefore, when only the wireless communication is employed, the type of the health measuring device is sometimes limited. Therefore, it is preferable that the wired communication and the wireless communication are selectively employed between the health measuring device and the terminal device.
In the in-home health caring system in which the wired communication and the wireless communication are employed together between the health measuring device and the terminal device, data is communicated adjacent to the terminal device when the wired communication is employed. When the wireless communication is employed, data is communicated from a position apart from the terminal device. Therefore, the wireless communication is sometimes incorrectly started even if the wired communication is being performed.
However, the terminal device of the in-home health caring system cannot simultaneously process health data transmitted from a plurality of the health measuring devices. Therefore, if health data is simultaneously transmitted from the plural health measuring devices, the terminal device cannot receive all of the health data items. Therefore, a portion of health data cannot be read by the terminal device. Therefore, a user must pay attention to prevent simultaneous transmission of health data from the plural health measuring devices. According to the circumstances, an by operation for again inputting all of the health data items which have simultaneously be transmitted is required. Thus, there arises a problem in that the system cannot easily be used.
However, the terminal device of the in-home health caring system cannot simultaneously process health data transmitted from a plurality of the health measuring devices. Therefore, if health data is simultaneously transmitted from the plural health measuring devices, the terminal device cannot receive all of the health data items. Therefore, a portion of health data cannot be read by the terminal device. Therefore, a user must pay attention to prevent simultaneous transmission of health data from the plural health measuring devices. According to the circumstances, an operation for again inputting all of the health data items which have simultaneously be transmitted is required. Thus, there arises a problem in that the system cannot easily be used.
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a low-cost in-home health caring system which can easily be operated.
In view of the foregoing, another object of the present invention is to provide a low-cost in-home health caring system which can easily be operated and which is able to input data of a health measuring device, which cannot be read by a data transferring device, to a terminal device.
In view of the foregoing, another object of the present invention is to provide an in-home health caring system which enables communication of health data between a health measuring device and a terminal device to be performed without a necessity of recognizing a variety of communication methods employed to perform data communication between the health measuring device and the terminal device.
In view of the foregoing, another object of the present invention is to provide an in-home health caring system which is capable of facilitating a process for inputting health data to a terminal device.
An aspect of the present invention provided in an in-home health caring system comprising: a plurality of health measuring devices each having means for measuring a state of the health and means for transmitting measured data to a data transferring device; the data transferring device incorporating means for reading data transmitted by the health measuring device and means for wireless-transmitting, to a terminal device, read data; and the terminal device incorporating means for receiving data wireless-transmitted by the data transferring device, means for managing data and means arranged to be operated by a user.
Another aspect of the present invention is provided in an in-home health caring system described above, wherein the data transferring means incorporates means for identifying a user, and ID data of the person identified by the means for identifying a user is enabled to be transmitted to the terminal device.
Another aspect of the present invention is provided in an in-home health caring system in described above, wherein the data transferring means incorporates means for remote-controlling the terminal device, and a control code for remote-controlling the terminal device is enabled to be transmitted to the terminal device.
Another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an in-home health caring system comprising: a plurality of health measuring devices each having means for measuring a state of the health and means for transmitting measured data to a data transferring device; the data transferring device incorporating means for reading data transmitted by the health measuring device and means for wireless-transmitting, to a terminal device, read data; and the terminal device incorporating means for receiving data wireless-transmitted by the data transferring device, means for managing data and means arranged to be operated by a user, wherein the data transferring device is provided with means for inputting numerals, characters and graphics, and data input by the input means is enabled to be transmitted to the terminal device.
Another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an in-home health caring system an in-home health caring system comprising: a plurality of health measuring devices each having means for measuring a state of the health and means for transmitting measured data to a data transferring device; the data transferring device incorporating means for reading data transmitted by the health measuring device and means for wireless-transmitting, to a terminal device, read data; and the terminal device incorporating means for receiving data wireless-transmitted by the data transferring device, means for managing data and means arranged to be operated by a user, wherein an input device having means for inputting numerals, characters and graphics and means for wireless-transmitting supplied data to the terminal device are provided.
Another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an in-home health caring system comprising: a health measuring device incorporating measuring means for measuring a state of the health and transmitting means for transmitting measured data to a terminal device; and the terminal device incorporating receiving means for receiving data transmitted by the health measuring device and managing means for managing received data, wherein one connection terminal and determining means for determining a communication method of data received through the connection terminal are provided for the terminal device so that data transmitted from the health measuring device by using a variety of communication methods is received by the terminal device through the connection terminal.
Another aspect of the present invention, a structure according to the in-home health caring system is described above, wherein the health measuring device is arranged to transmit data after a lapse of a delay time previously determined for each communication method after the health measuring device and the terminal device have been connected to each other, and the determining means for determining the communication method of the terminal device measures time taken from establishment of the connection between the health measuring device and the terminal device to start of transmission of data to determine the communication method employed by the health measuring device.
Another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an in-home health caring system comprising: a health measuring device incorporating measuring means for measuring a state of health and transmitting means for transmitting measured data to a terminal device; and the terminal device incorporating receiving means for receiving data transmitted from the health measuring device and structured such that wired communication is performed between the health measuring device and the terminal device, wherein detecting means for detecting whether or not the wired communication is enabled is provided for at least either of the health measuring device or the terminal device, and transmission of data from the health measuring device to the terminal device is started when detection has been made that the wired communication can be performed.
Another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a structure according to the in-home health caring system described above, wherein the detecting means incorporates a circuit portion in which the logical level of a signal is inverted when the wired connection between the health measuring device and the terminal device permits communication.
Another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a structure according to the in-home health caring system described above,wherein data is transmitted from the health measuring device after a lapse of a predetermined waiting time from detection of the communication permissible state by the detecting means.
Another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a structure according to the in-home health caring system described above, wherein a signal line disposed between the health measuring device and the terminal device to transmit data is physically interrupted until the waiting time elapses.
Another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an in-home health caring system comprising: a health measuring device incorporating measuring means for measuring a state of health and transmitting means for transmitting data to a terminal device; and the terminal device incorporating receiving means for receiving data transmitted from the health measuring device and managing means for managing received data, wherein a communication control portion for performing an interruption process is provided for the terminal device, and the communication control portion performs waiting for receipt of data transmitted by wired communication or wireless communication.
Another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a structure according to the in-home health caring system described above, wherein when data transmitted by the wireless communication has been received during receipt of data by the wired communication, the communication control portion of the terminal device interrupts the receipt of data by the wired communication and data transmitted by the wireless communication is received with a priority, and then data transmitted by the wired communication is received.
Another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a structure according to the in-home health caring system described above, wherein when data transmitted by the wired communication is received during receipt of data transmitted by the wireless communication, the communication control portion of the terminal device does not interrupt receipt of data transmitted by the wireless communication and receives data transmitted by the wireless communication with a priority, and then the communication control portion receives data transmitted by the wired communication.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an in-home health caring system comprising: a health measuring device incorporating measuring means for measuring a state of health and transmitting means for transmitting measured data to a terminal device; and a terminal device incorporates receiving means for receiving data transmitted by the health measuring device and managing means for managing received data, wherein a communication control portion having a buffer function is provided for the terminal device, and when data transmitted by wireless communication or wired communication is received during receipt of data by the other communication method which is the wireless communication or the wired communication, the communication control portion temporarily stores data transmitted by the other communication method until receipt of data transmitted by the communication method which has previously been employed is completed.
According to the present invention, the necessity of performing a process for starting transmission of data after communication of data has been permitted can be eliminated. After communication of data has been permitted, transmission of data is automatically started. Therefore, a complicated operation for inputting data to the receiving device can be omitted.
According to the present invention, whether or not communication of data has been permitted can electrically be detected without a complicated structure. Therefore, a state in which communication is permitted can reliably be detected.
According to the present invention, a period of time immediately after establishment of the connection in which noise is most easily produced is made to be the waiting time in which transmission of data is inhibited. Therefore, a malfunction caused from noise produced when the transmitting device and the receiving device have been connected to each other can be prevented. As a result, reliability of data communication can be improved.
According to the present invention, the signal line for transmitting data between the transmitting device and the receiving device is physically interrupted until the waiting time elapses. Noise produced when the transmitting device and the receiving device has been connected to each other can completely be prevented. As a result, a malfunction caused from noise can be prevented.
According to the present invention, the in-home health caring system enables the necessity of previously inputting, to the terminal device, information of the health measuring device with which wired communication will be performed can be eliminated. Therefore, an effect can be obtained in that input of health data to the terminal device can furthermore be facilitated.
According to the present invention, the receiving device is able to determine a transmitting device from which data has been transmitted. Therefore, data transmitted together with the ID code can automatically be processed in accordance with the transmitting device.
According to the present invention, the communication method of data which must be transmitted from the transmitting device can automatically be determined/processed by the receiving device. If a variety of communication methods are employed to communicate data between the transmitting device and the receiving device are employed, a user does not recognize the communication method when data is communicated between the transmitting device and the receiving device.
According to the present invention, a user is not required to select a connection terminal. Therefore, the user is able to easily establish the connection to the connection terminal.
According to the present invention, the communication method can be determined only by measuring time taken from establishment of the connection between the transmitting device and the receiving device to start of transmission of data. Therefore, the communication method can easily and accurately be determined.
According to the present invention, one relay device capable of reading data of adaptable of transmitting devices is provided. Therefore, a necessity of providing means for wireless-transmitting data for all of the transmitting devices can be eliminated. Moreover, data can be wireless-transmitted from the transmitting device to the receiving device. Therefore, a low-cost communication system which can easily be operated can be provided.
According to the present invention, data of each person can be input from a remote position to the receiving device if a plurality of users use the system. Therefore, a communication system which can easily be operated can be provided.
According to the present invention, the relay device is able to remote-control the receiving device. Therefore, all of the operations of the receiving device can be performed from a remote position. Therefore, a communication system which can easily be operated can be provided.
According to the present invention, data which must be transmitted from the transmitting device and which cannot be read by the relay device can be input to the relay device by using the means for inputting numerals, characters and graphics. Therefore, a communication system can be provided with which data which cannot be read by the relay device and which has been transmitted by the transmitting device can be input to the receiving device.
According to the present invention, data which cannot be read by the relay device and which must be transmitted from the transmitting device can be wireless-transmitted to the receiving device by using the sub-input device. Therefore, data which cannot be read by the relay device and which must be transmitted by the transmitting device can be input to the receiving device by using the sub-input device. As a result, a communication system can be provided with which the relay device and the sub-input device can be disposed at an arbitrary position.
According to the present invention, data transmitted by a predetermined communication method is received with priority if an interruption process causes data to be transmitted by both of wired communication and wireless communication or if transmission of data by either of the communication method is started during receipt of data by the other communication method. Therefore, the possibility of generation of data which cannot be received can be lowered. As a result, a communication system can be provided with which a user is able to easily input data to the receiving device.
According to the present invention, data transmitted by both of the wired communication and the wireless communication can be received. Therefore, an effect can be obtained in that operability of a process for inputting data to the receiving device and the reliability of the system can be improved.
According to the present invention, data transmitted by wired communication and wireless communication can be received. Therefore, an effect can be obtained in that operability of a process for inputting data to the receiving device and the reliability of the system can be improved.
According to the present invention, the buffer function enables data transmitted by the two communication methods to simultaneously be received. Therefore, a communication system can be provided with which a user is not required to perform a complicated operation to input data to the receiving device.